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Lightshadow's Repentance/Part 1
Prologue= ' Second moon of leaf-bare, year one. ' "Are you sure?" The red-brown she-cat turned sharply and stared into the face of her companion. "Yes." The black tom nodded. "He will never come to us." "Don't say that!" the little purplish-gray apprentice tom pleaded. "I'm sure he can change. Anyone can. He isn't even born yet!" "But he will be soon." The black tom's eyes darkened. "And I'm not as confident as you are, Flightpaw." "Darknight, won't you give him a chance?" the red-brown she-cat asked. "I can't," the black tom said, turning away. "Wait, don't!" The apprentice, Flightpaw, hurried after him, wincing as he put weight on his injured leg. "Darknight! Darknight..." The black tom was long gone. "I hope he's wrong, for once," Flightpaw said. "I really do..." "I know, but..." the she-cat trailed off. "He has to be, Cherrynose," Flightpaw said. "He has to be." |-|Chapter 1= ' First moon of newleaf, year two. ' "A mouse?!" Graycloud's scream rang through the forest. "One puny little mouse? That's the best you can do? Every time you go on hunting patrol you bring back less than two pieces of prey. It's atrocious. I expected better from you, Whitepaw. Maybe tomorrow you can just stick around camp and leave the hunting to the experts." Lightpaw glared at Graycloud. My sister is trying as hard as she can! Not every cat has to be a great hunter. She's only been an apprentice for a moon, and the prey is still coming out from its winter holes! Whitepaw cowered under Graycloud's fury. "I'm s-sorry, Graycloud—I c-couldn't scent anything," she whispered. "THEN MAYBE YOU NEED TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO YOUR TASK!" Graycloud roared. "I was..." Whitepaw sputtered. Graycloud appeared not to hear her. "I think tick duty for you, do you agree, Silvertail?" Graycloud's brother nodded, hissing at the apprentice. "Shadepaw will join you. He hasn't done much better on this hunting trip." Marshclaw, the last of the three siblings, bared his teeth. "And you too, Sparrowpaw. You haven't caught much of your namesake today either." Tails drooping, Sparrowpaw and Shadepaw padded back to camp behind Whitepaw. Lightpaw stared in horror at the trio. What were they being punished for? They'd done nothing wrong! Maybe that was a good penalty if they were being lazy, but they hadn't been! Lightpaw's mentor, Hazesky, was gaping at the three warriors. "I-I'll have to report them," she whispered, her usual smile gone. "Your siblings don't deserve this. We'll take what we've got and go back to camp, there's no use staying out here now." Lightpaw followed her back to SkyClan's camp, rage boiling inside his belly. What do those three think they're doing? I'll get back at them for this, see if I don't... ---- Lightpaw tiptoed quietly past his siblings' nests, heading for the warriors' den. Graycloud, Marshclaw, and Silvertail are going to pay for what they did to Sparrowpaw, Whitepaw, and Shadepaw... I'll make them pay. He stood over their slumbering forms. Checked to make sure he had the right cats. He pressed his paws on their heads and snapped their necks. |-|Chapter 2= A scream jolted Lightpaw awake the next morning. Heart beating, he tried to calm himself down by closing his eyes and pretending to go back to sleep. I musn't be there when Sparkstar questions who did it. Anyone might think it was me... and I have a good reason, too. He later saw the bodies of the three warriors being carried out of camp by the deputy Berrythorn and the elders. All around the camp, cats whispered words of mourning. Whitepaw, Shadepaw, and Sparrowpaw looked at each other, heads low in grief. Lightpaw felt confusion and even a little bit of exasperation. They weren't good mentors. You should be happy they're dead. But even so, he knew that his siblings were a different type from him. They always had been. They didn't understand life the way he did, and he didn't understand what they felt. It would always be that way. ---- ' Second moon of greenleaf. ' "Lightshadow, do you want to come hunting with me?" Hazesky asked. "Even though you're a warrior now, there's no reason we shouldn't still spend time together!" She laughed. "My kits can do without me for a bit." The last thing he wanted to do was go hunting with Hazesky, who had given birth to Scorchmask's two kits soon after passing him in his warrior assessment. He had been heading to the nursery to spend some time with Peartree, who was expecting a third litter of kits due very soon. But he couldn't see an easy way to refuse Hazesky's offer—she could be really insistent if she wanted to be—and he was too tired to think of one. So he agreed, but before they'd really left camp he heard a shriek from the nursery. He was into the den in a hearbeat, by his mother's side. His father Thrushstorm was already there. "Peartree. Are the kits coming?" Lightshadow asked. She hesitated for a second, then nodded. "I think—I know they're coming. Dear StarClan, I don't think you, Sparrowkit, Whitekit, or Shadekit kicked this much!" She laughed, but it was a bit breathless. Lightshadow called for the medicine cat, Cranewing. She came quickly, telling Lightshadow to move out of the way. He did so, but made sure he was in a position so that he could still see his mother. "Breathe, slowly," Cranewing whispered. "Slowly." Peartree did as told, and Lightshadow was relieved to see that his mother's eyes were calming. "Oh!" Peartree gasped suddenly. Lightshadow leaned forward, almost pushing Cranewing into his mother. On the other side of Peartree, Thrushstorm did the same. The medicine cat waved them off with her tail and bent towards Peartree. "It's okay, it's okay," she meowed. This went on for a while, until finally Peartree gave one last gasp. "This is-this is it!" she whispered. "Push!" Cranewing urged. And the kit slid out—a little dark brown she-kit with tiny, cute paws. Lightshadow's heart melted in spite of himself. She's beautiful. Thrushstorm moved closer to gaze upon his daughter. "Oh, Peartree," he sighed, smiling at the queen. "I can't even describe how perfect she is. What shall we call her?" Peartree examined the little kit, who was already suckling at her belly. "Maybe—Flashkit? For this white mark on her forehead?" "That's a wonderful name," Thrushstorm purred, curling up with his mate. Lightshadow nodded at his parents and left to give them some time alone. ---- When he walked outside, Hazesky had left. Relieved, Lightshadow decided to take a walk in the forest. As he headed toward the camp entrance he almost tripped over Beekit, one of Hazesky's two sons. He had just dodged the little tom when his brother, Minnowkit, sped between his legs, yowling at the top of his lungs. "BEEKIT, WON'T YOU PLAY WITH ME?" His ears still ringing from Minnowkit's shouts, Lightshadow sprinted to the camp entrance and dashed outside. He breathed a sigh of relief as the cool newleaf air hit him. At last, some peace and quiet. |-|Chapter 3= ' Second moon of newleaf. ' "All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highroot for a Clan meeting!" At the customary call, Lightshadow jumped up. His siblings' new mentors, Scorchmask, Ferretnose, and Doveflame, had passed them in his warrior assessment the day before, along with the apprentice Stonepaw, and cats were constantly telling the trio of apprentices that Sparkstar had to make them warriors soon. This must be it. This must be. Sparkstar already stood on the Highroot above his den. "Today, we are here to perform an important ceremony." Ceremon'y', singular? Lightshadow frowned. Wouldn't it be plural? My three siblings plus Stonepaw. Standing by their mentors, fur smooth for the occasion, Sparrowpaw, Whitepaw, and Shadepaw were looking confused too. "Stonepaw, come forward." The apprentice stepped in front of Sparkstar. "I, Sparkstar, leader of SkyClan, call upon my ancestors in StarClan to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of the warrior code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Stonepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" "I do," Stonepaw replied. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Stonepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Stonewillow. StarClan honors your agility and your sense, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SkyClan." "Stonewillow! Stonewillow!" the Clan yowled. Lightshadow did not join them. Why doesn't Sparkstar just let them cheer at the end, after every cat's ceremony? After the noise died down, Sparkstar stepped off the Highroot. "Clan dismissed." He turned to go into his den. No one noticed Lightshadow slip in after him. ---- Lightshadow woke in the morning calm and happy. Sparkstar was sure to give his siblings their names today. He exited the warriors' den and sat in the shade of the tree that made up the leader's den. Sparkstar emerged, then, after giving him an apprehensive glance, climbed onto the Highroot. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highroot for a Clan meeting!" Cats began to gather, some giving questioning looks to Sparkstar. "Why's he calling another meeting so soon after the first one?" Lightshadow heard Tigerblaze, an elder, mutter. Once the Clan was circled up and silent, Sparkstar meowed, "I have forgotten something very important. We have three more apprentices that need to receive their warrior names. Sparrowpaw, come forward." "I, Sparkstar, leader of SkyClan, call upon my warrior ancestors..." Sparkstar gave Sparrowpaw the name of Sparrowthorn, Whitepaw the name of Whitecloud, and Shadepaw the name of Shadefall. Once all three cats' ceremonies were complete, the cats began to cheer. This time Lightshadow called the new warriors' names along with them. "Sparrowthorn! Whitecloud! Shadefall!" After the meeting, Sparkstar approached Lightshadow under the shadow of the cedar that formed the leader's den. Somehow the darkness felt ominous. "I still have a scar from what you did to me." Sparkstar's words came out almost as a hiss as he gestured to a small mark nearly hidden by his ginger neck fur. "I could have given that life to help my Clan." The leader turned away and was about to leave when he called over his shoulder. "Feel lucky I didn't banish you already. I'll give you one day to leave the Clan. One day." ---- Lightshadow stepped into the medicine den, breathing in the heavy aroma of herbs that filled Cranewing's cave. "Hello?" he called. Cranewing seemed to emerge out of nowhere. "Lightshadow. What can I do for you?" Lightshadow talked just quietly enough so that only Cranewing could hear. "I need something for memory loss." "To treat memory loss?" "No. To cause it." ---- Some crushed larkflower went directly into the chaffinch already lying outside Sparkstar's den. Lightshadow hardly dared to believe that Cranewing had given it to him unsuspecting. Either I overestimated her intelligence, or... or she knew what I was doing, and wanted to help me. He didn't allow himself to dwell too long on that second possibility. The next day, Sparkstar said not a word to Lightshadow, whether about his crime or how well the prey was running. He barely talked to anyone, as a matter of fact. Lightshadow heard cats whispering that when he did talk, he seemed confused, as if he didn't know where he was or who all the warriors were. Most passed it off as him getting old. He had been leader for a long time, after all. His days of strength were fading. |-|Chapter 4= ' About a quarter-moon later. ' "Flashkit! Stop!" "What am I doing?" Lightshadow's youngest sister whipped her head around to defend herself. "That's my moss-ball!" Beekit yowled. "No it isn't," Flashkit meowed. "Peartree says we have to share it! Heronpaw made it for all of us." "Hazesky said it was mine!" Beekit jumped over and started attacking his Clanmate. Flashkit shrieked as he slashed near her eyes with unsheathed claws. "Beekit!" Hazesky leaped towards the two kits and pulled them apart before Beekit did any more damage. Turning to Peartree, she cried, "I am so, so, so sorry! He's never done this before, I don't understand!" She pulled Beekit back to the nursery and began scolding him while both Peartree and Lightshadow hurried to make sure Flashkit was all right. She was whimpering and there was a scratch over her right eye, but overall not much physical harm had been done. "The same can't be said for mental harm," Cranewing said later when they took Flashkit to the medicine den. She gave Peartree a strand of tiny green leaves and little black seeds wrapped in a dock leaf. "This is thyme for shock and poppy seeds to help her sleep. Only give her one seed at a time." Peartree nodded and carried Flashkit back to the nursery, Lightshadow walking beside them carrying the leaf wrap. His mind was burning with hatred. Beekit won't do that ever again. To any cat. ---- The next day, Beekit was found drowned in the lake. Lightshadow spotted Cranewing delivering a mouse to Sparkstar, who recently had shut himself in his den. He could smell larkflower on the medicine cat's fur—''fresh'' larkflower. That cat is helpful... but smart. I'll have to watch out for her. ---- ' Over the next few moons... ' The body of the deputy, Berrythorn, was found, half-buried, under the shade of a great oak tree near the northern border of SkyClan's territory. The day before, he had argued with Peartree. Rushcloud, a well-liked and respected elder, died of a mysterious cough after yelling at Lightshadow's newly apprenticed sister, Flashpaw. Every time a member of Lightshadow's family was threatened, he would make sure that that cat's life was taken. Within a day. And he never. Got. Caught. Never. The murders continued, and Lightshadow knew that no one knew what caused them. (Except, he suspected, for Cranewing, who had been spotted conveniently slipping larkflower into Sparkstar's prey every time another murder was committed.) But it turned out, he was wrong. Cranewing wasn't the only one that knew. |-|Chapter 5= ' Third moon of leaf-bare, year three. ' Lightshadow was hunting by himself on the border. Above his head, the wind whipped tree branches back and forth, ruffling Lightshadow's fur. Despite the fact that he had hunted in windy conditions many times before, he shivered, scanning the underbrush for movement. The breeze halted for a second, then started up again. It seemed to whisper his name. Lightshadow. Lightshadow. Lightshadow. Usually by now he would have caught at least two pieces of prey, but today his skills seemed to have deteriorated. The only thing he had caught was a tiny little shrew, which his Clanmates would probably not touch. He tried to convince himself that he was just tired, having gone to the Gathering the night before. He heard a rustle behind him and turned. Suddenly, there was a weight on his back. Pale gray fur smothering his breath and obscuring his vision. Then he heard a voice, muffled by the cat on his back, but clear and recognizable. "I know. I'm sorry, Lightshadow." She said it in the same tone of voice as so many moons ago. I'm sorry, Graycloud. I'm sorry, Lightshadow. That was his last thought before all went black. Category:Fanfictions Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete) Category:Fanfictions (Fanon) Category:Content (Qibli77)